In the Villacampa workshop located in the suburbs of Pau (Pyrénées-Atlantiques), Jack Fauvel embarked on a “slightly crazy” project: “Making a rather ecological ski, local production for local practice”. Four tons per square centimeter, the ski press ends up imposing its power on a new pair in production. “What we hear is the fibers snapping: making a ski is about the mechanics of materials and chemistry,” explains the boss, watching – and listening – as the press loosens its grip.
In 2015, when this Norman living in Béarn embarked on the adventure, he was a civil servant in the Aquitaine region and dreamed of creating his own business. At 45, he has already had several professional lives: after studying cinema, he worked in the audiovisual sector, then designed software, before joining the administration.
He learned that skis were made “at one time” in the Pyrenees. “I like the idea of recreating something in the place where it existed.” These Pyrenean skis are Villecampe, a brand created at the beginning of the 20th century, which, in the 1970s, rivaled Rossignol, but has since closed. In homage, Jack Fauvel chose the name Villacampa, the original surname of the creator of the missing skis, originally from Spain, while the workshop was named “Manufacture à Félix”, his first name.
A work of art
“We are the only ones to ski in the Pyrenees,” says Eric Antier, 44, workshop and development manager, an originality dear to this native of Pale. “No one knows much about this profession, either you are a carpenter, or you work in composites, there is no real training,” says the craftsman. “We started from scratch, we designed our skis, defined our processes, it takes time,” adds his boss.
Ten years have passed since the creation of the company and Villacampa now produces forty to fifty pairs per year, “a lot for a craftsman, but not enough for a company,” notes Jack Fauvel. To sustain the activity, he seeks to innovate: he has launched “master classes” where the customer comes to the workshop to create their own skis, drawing inspiration from what is practiced in the surfing world. Sébastien Goninet, 55, boss of a transport company, was offered this gift by his wife after having fallen in love with a pair of Villacampa shoes from one of his friends.
For the veneer of his pair, he chose a rare wood, white ebony from Laos. “It looks a bit like a work of art, so I’m a little nervous about using them,” says the future owner. “But I’m also looking forward to being able to compare them with the ones I have now,” he says.
“Hermes of sport”
The list price of Villacampa ranges between 900 and 1,500 euros per pair: “We are mainly aimed at enthusiasts (…), people who are not into the idea of changing equipment every four mornings and who will have a certain requirement”, underlines the founder, who speaks of “sustainable, heritage skiing”.
In total, according to Jack Fauvel, there are around ten producers of artisanal skis in France in a high-end ski market that is itself very competitive. In addition to innovation, the founding president of Villacampa had to diversify to maintain the activity, particularly during the Covid years, by also creating custom furniture and wooden sporting goods.
Ultimately, the creator of Villacampa dreams of making his company a “Hermès of sport”. “When you buy responsibly, you know that there is a story and real know-how behind it.”
(afp/er)
